The Streets Are 'Not Safe' -- San Juan Is Forgotten By the U.S.

[DonViejo]

The island is not just trying to recover, it’s trying to reconnect with the rest of the world. The situation is disastrous and they are begging for more help.

PABLO VENES
09.24.17 9:03 PM ET

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico—On this American island still suffering terribly from mighty Hurricane Maria’s devastating impact, the feeling of despair and anxiety is now mixed with fear at night, when looters rule the streets.

Hector Velez owns one of the seven gas station near San German, a municipality on the southwest part of the island. Half of the rooftop of his gas station was stripped away by Hurricane Maria but the storm didn’t cause most of damage he now has to deal with.

“Why would they do that to me? Everyone knows me around here. I’ve always been nice to my clients,” Velez told The Daily Beast as he looked at shattered windows and emptied food racks.

Link to tweet

After seeing all the damage his station suffered from looters, Velez decided not to open, punishing everyone in the community, many of whom were looking desperately for gas. “It breaks my heart, but I need to be calm about this. I can’t believe how people are so harsh. Is this nobody’s land now?” Velez wondered, and estimated that he will have to invest about $17,000 to reopen.

more
http://www.thedailybeast.com/in-puerto-rico-after-hurricane-maria-the-desperate-struggle-to-survive

[delisen]

1. Republican legislators and cabinet members need to

be pressured to force the Trump administration to act immediately.

The staff person of my Republican senator (and Trump supporter) was very defensive.

3.5 million American citizens in the middle of a disaster.

[FLPanhandle]

2. The thin veneer of civilization is easily stripped away

A few days without power and civilized law abiding folks become animals & barbarians.


Civilization is hideously fragile... there’s not much between us and the Horrors underneath, just about a coat of varnish. ~C.P. Snow

[roamer65]

4. That quote is very accurate.

[spanone]

3. trump doesn't care....no high ratings saving Puerto Ricans

[Hortensis]

5. FEMA and our military are in PR and USVIs. We are mobilized, but they've had huge problems

just getting destroyed sea and air ports open so they can get workers and the beginnings of supplies onto the islands.

But we know that even if FEMA, as well as its various underlying agencies, was well run it couldn't work miracles, and it's not well run and not adequately funded. In fact, the Repubs planned budget includes an additional $876 million CUT to FEMA disaster relief.

Meanwhile, congress is controlled by megawealthy conservatives focused on gutting government's ability to need national needs and cutting taxes into the bone. They are determined to empty as much of our national kitty into their pockets as possible, and expending enormous national sums gathered through mandatory taxation on rebuilding those islands for their residents is exactly the kind of thing they are determined to stop.